Food security remains a major humanitarian concern in 2018 in multiple contexts. In this report, ACAPS highlights five of the worst affected countries, where large populations are food insecure, and where households and areas are either already in Catastrophe or Famine levels of food insecurity (IPC Phase 5), or are at risk of deteriorating into this situation.

Finland will assist areas suffering from conflicts and drought in Yemen, Northeast Nigeria, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Ethiopia.

“The focus in our aid decisions towards the end of the year is on crises where the need is currently particularly great and aid is needed urgently”, says Kai Mykkänen, Minister for Foreign Trade and Development.

Famine has been declared in parts of South Sudan and the food security situation is of grave concern in 7 other countries: Ethiopia, Kenya, Nigeria, Somalia, Sudan, Uganda, and Yemen. In these countries, 42.5 million are in need of humanitarian assistance and 41.8 million are in phase 3-5 Integrated Phase Classification between June and September 2017.

Mixed migration flows within, from and to the East Africa and Yemen region continued to be affected
by a number of complex dynamics, including conflict, drought and economic reasons among others.
Migrants, asylum seekers and refugees continued to be at a significant risk of harm, ranging from
abduction, physical abuse and death on land and at sea. Policy considerations remained focussed on
limiting irregular migration, particularly to Europe.